CH 56

Jed’s Point of View

“Who is it!”

I froze in surprise when I saw the face of the woman who had fallen on her butt in front of me.

Elle, is that you?

The woman staring at me had a different hair color and eye color, but she looked like a grown-up version of the girl who saved me.

“You are…?”

“I should be asking that…”

The woman who had given me a dubious look stood up and brushed the dirt from her clothes.

Dizzy from hunger, I leaned against a tree and introduced myself.

“I’m Jed. And you?”

I couldn’t say my real name, so I used the nickname Elle had given me.

I had been using this name for the entire trip.

“I’m Elle.”

There was no doubt about it. It’s the Elle I know.

I had no idea why Elle, the daughter of Ansanse Kingdom’s Duke, would be in the woods of the Principality of Agreable. And using a disguise at that.

It was not unreasonable for me to question her presence here.

“Elle, huh…”

“Are you bothered by my name?”

Elle didn’t seem to recognize me.

My hair color was black, not red, and I haven’t cut it as much as I should have. It’s a very different look than the one I had back then.

It’s no wonder she doesn’t recognize me.

“How did you end up collapsing here, Mr. Jed.”

“Ah~…”

I didn’t want to show my ungraceful appearance to the girl I liked, and Elle gave me an apologetic look when I didn’t say anything.

It’s not that I wanted to make her feel troubled, though.

“Actually…”

“Yes?”

Elle gave me an astounded look, probably because my answer was so stupid.

Feeling uncomfortable, I asked, “Elle, do you have anything to eat?” I asked.

It was true that I was hungry, but I wanted more time to talk to her.

“I do…”

“Please, share with me! I will thank you properly!”

When I clasped my hands together in appeal, Elle only continued to look astounded, but not surprised.

She probably expected that I was going to beg for food.

“I only have cream buns on me if you are alright with that.”

“Yeah, I have a sweet tooth, so I will gladly take it.”

Elle sat down next to me and held out a paper bag full of buns.

“You can have as much as you like.”

“Eh? You are saying I can eat it all?”

“I will not share with someone who has the energy to say stupid things.”

I tried to make a joke to make her laugh, but she glared at me.

Was this the kind of personality Elle had?

At least the Elle I knew would have laughed at me happily and said, “Please stop joking around”.

Had something happened to her in the three years we hadn’t seen each other?

Like the fact that she’s in the forest, this is something I’ll have to get her to talk about.

I bit into a piece of cream bun, thinking that I should do my best to get an answer from her.